How following your passion can transform your life

People pick up on passion. It is attractive.

When we are engaged with our passions, it feels good. We find our natural gifts, and we are motivated to do more and learn more.

However, it is a widely held belief that we must sacrifice our passions to earn good money and create the lifestyle we desire.

Knowing and connecting with our passions means it is possible to bring joy into whatever we do. We know how to make the best of any situation – whether that is putting on music and dancing when we are cleaning, or really being present and connecting with the people we are serving.

However, taking the next step and orienting our lives around our passions gives us the greatest potential for joy. We are then expressing our unique essence in the world and living our life purpose.

Anita Moorjani explains how, rather than this being selfish or egotistical, it is actually what the world needs. Spiritually, we are all connected, and our unique expression is one thread in the tapestry of life. Doing 'our thing' has a positive effect on those around us in our community.

What about money?

But what about our income, freedom and lifestyle?

Marsha Sinetar said:

"Do what you love and the money will follow."

To me, this seems true to an extent. When what we do is of value to others, they will want to reciprocate. However, it is also more nuanced than that.

Doing what we love might lead us to employment or self-employment in an established field, such as gardening, tutoring or architecture. We still need to agree on contracts, and our thoughts and beliefs about earning money from our passion can get in the way of negotiating a good deal.

We often feel so strongly about our passion that there is a tendency to want to give our work away. However, money is a creative energy that also needs to flow. Our income from our passion is part of creating a sustainable, abundant and passion-filled life.

Passion in a changing world

The internet has brought us new opportunities for doing business in different ways. All forms of self-employment are now affected.

The gardener, tutor and lawyer, although working in well-established professions, cannot ignore the opportunities the internet provides.

By reducing overheads and enabling us to connect with more people who have specific needs across a much wider area, the internet has given birth to new businesses and made many existing ones more profitable, from crafts to coaching.

We need to understand the options available so we can make informed choices.

It can be easy to be swept away by 'get rich quick' opportunities. Even if they work (and many don't), it is not unusual for someone who has made a lot of money to seek coaching because they still feel that "something is missing".

Their initial motivation is often moving away from a job they dislike or escaping financial instability. That fear provides a short-term burst of motivation but, when it subsides, motivation often becomes a struggle.

Their heart simply isn't in it.

Living with purpose

When we are engaged with our passions, we are inspired. We don't need to push ourselves because we are naturally drawn towards something bigger.

This is also our competitive advantage. It helps us stand out and connect with people on the same wavelength, particularly online.

I believe passion should be at the heart of our life and work. Whilst there is a natural pull towards our passions, we also need to make sure we are aware of the full range of them, and that our thought patterns do not limit us or stand in our way.

This frees us to choose fulfilling careers and self-employment that engage our passions while building the lifestyle we desire in a sustainable way, with greater time and financial freedom.

Does that sound good to you?

To explore how coaching can help you orientate your life around your passions, consider speaking with a professional coach.